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vivakresh's review
5.0
These poems come from such a deep well of love — for the self in the poems (the little boy, the teenager, the grown man with so much to lose) as well as those in affinty with the speaker (brother, lover, star, nuns and priests) — these poems have no choice but to hit you in the gut. Even when they are making you smile to yourself (wry smile), there is a sadness or a sense of regret or loss that undergirds the humor. If you can't laugh, then cry. The virtuosities of the technical craft also will not disappoint: the line, word choice, sonics, intention, consistency. I can't stand how good "I Never Went Back to You" is. I love "Echo" with its image of a stamp to heaven. The poem "The Woman with a Transparent Purse" feels like it was written for me — for every T-riding woman. I also appreciate the poems grappling with Catholic identity and upbringing, as well as the poems taking on a rainbow of voices: Liddy Dole, Barbara Streisand, a cage. I want to congratulate you: Bravo! What a terrific book. I hope someday soon I can ask you to sign my copy. ❤️
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